In order to provide access to up-to-date data (e.g. e-mail, databases, files such as word processing documents and presentations, etc.) across a number of devices, some known systems provide access to services and applications used by mobile devices and local computers using a “cloud”. Cloud computing typically refers to the consumption of computing resources that are made available over a network such as the Internet. Cloud-based applications may be accessed by client devices through a web browser or a local module, for example, with the applications being hosted and application data being stored primarily on remote servers. For example, common applications (e.g., e-mail, calendar, tasks, and contacts) may be serviced from a cloud, and data used by the application may be periodically synchronized between local devices and the cloud.
To control access to sensitive data, for example corporate data, one approach is to provide users with “secure” endpoint devices from which they can access the sensitive data. For example, a user may be provided with a laptop or other mobile communication device that provides a sufficient level of security features (e.g. device access control, encrypted communications and/or file storage, remote wipe capabilities) so that a corporate IT department may be reasonably assured that data transferred to or from, or stored on such a device is secure.